Rhode Island General Laws

R.I. Gen. Laws § 12-29-5 (2026)

Disposition of domestic violence cases

✓ current as of July 2026
Find cases: SyfertCases citing this section RI-LEGwebserver.rilegislature.gov JustiaTitle on Justia CornellLII Search CasesGoogle Scholar

(a) Every person convicted of, or placed on probation for, a crime involving domestic violence or whose case is filed pursuant to § 12-10-12 where the defendant pleads nolo contendere, in addition to any other sentence imposed or counseling ordered, shall be ordered by the judge to attend, at his or her own expense, a batterer’s intervention program appropriate to address his or her violent behavior; provided, however, that the court may permit a servicemember or veteran to complete any court-approved counseling program administered or approved by the Veterans’ Administration. This order shall be included in the conditions of probation. Failure of the defendant to comply with the order shall be a basis for violating probation and/or the provisions of § 12-10-12. This provision shall not be suspended or waived by the court.

(b) Every person convicted of, or placed on probation for, a crime involving domestic violence as enumerated in § 12-29-2, or whose case is filed pursuant to § 12-10-12 where the defendant pleads guilty or nolo contendere, in addition to other court costs or assessments imposed, shall be ordered to pay a one hundred twenty-five dollar ($125) assessment. Eighty percent (80%) of the assessment collected pursuant to this section shall be provided to the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence for programs to assist victims of domestic violence and twenty percent (20%) of the assessment shall be deposited as general revenue.

(c)(1) Every person convicted of an offense punishable as a misdemeanor involving domestic violence as defined in § 12-29-2 shall:

(i) For a second violation, be imprisoned for a term of not less than ten (10) days and not more than one year.

(ii) For a third and subsequent violation, be deemed guilty of a felony and be imprisoned for a term of not less than one year and not more than ten (10) years.

(2) No jail sentence provided for under this section can be suspended.

(3) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed as limiting the discretion of the judges to impose additional sanctions authorized in sentencing.

(d) The court shall determine, for every person who pleads nolo contendere to, or is convicted of, an offense involving domestic violence as enumerated in § 12-29-2, whether, as a result of the plea or conviction, the defendant is prohibited under § 11-47-5(a)(3) or § 11-47-5(a)(4) from purchasing, owning, carrying, transporting, or having in his or her possession any firearm.

(1) Prior to the entry of a plea of nolo contendere to an offense involving domestic violence as enumerated in § 12-29-2, the court shall advise the defendant that a plea of nolo contendere has the same legal effect and collateral consequences as a plea of guilty.

(2) Prior to the entry of a plea of nolo contendere to an offense punishable as a felony involving domestic violence as enumerated in § 12-29-2, or an offense enumerated in § 11-47-5(a)(4), the court shall advise the defendant that, in addition to any other sentence or penalty, the defendant shall, as result of the plea, be prohibited from purchasing, owning, carrying, transporting, or having in their possession any firearm under § 11-47-5.

(3) The person required to surrender his or her firearms pursuant to this section shall not be responsible for any costs of storage of any firearms surrendered pursuant to this section.

(e) For the purposes of this section, “batterers intervention program” means a program that is certified by the batterers intervention program standards oversight committee according to minimum standards, pursuant to §§ 12-29-5.1, 12-29-5.2, and 12-29-5.3.

(f) For purposes of this section, “servicemember” means a person who is presently serving in the armed forces of the United States, including the Coast Guard, a reserve component thereof, or the National Guard. “Veteran” means a person who has served in the armed forces, including the Coast Guard of the United States, a reserve component thereof, or the National Guard, and has been discharged under other than dishonorable conditions.

(g) The court shall indicate on every record of conviction or a plea of nolo contendere for an offense punishable as a felony involving domestic violence, as defined in § 12-29-2, that the defendant is prohibited under §§ 11-47-5 and 11-47-5.3 from purchasing, owning, carrying, transporting, or having in their possession, any firearm(s). The court shall inform the defendant of their prohibited status and shall order the defendant to surrender any firearm(s) in their ownership, possession, care, custody or control in accordance with § 11-47-5.3.

(h) The court shall indicate on every record of conviction or a plea of nolo contendere for an offense enumerated in § 11-47-5(a)(4) that the defendant is prohibited under §§ 11-47-5 and 11-47-5.4 from purchasing, owning, carrying, transporting, or having in their possession, any firearm(s). The court shall inform the defendant of their prohibited status, shall order the defendant to surrender any firearm(s) in their ownership, possession, care, custody or control, and shall ensure that surrender is made in accordance with § 11-47-5.4.

(i) No proceeds shall be provided to any person if the firearm(s) is destroyed pursuant to this section.

(j) Any firearm(s) used in the commission of the offense leading to the conviction pursuant to this section shall be forfeited to the state upon conviction.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 36 cases (2 in the last 5 years), 2001–2025 · leading case: State v. Martini, 860 A.2d 689 (R.I. 2004).
State v. Martini, 860 A.2d 689 (R.I. 2004). · cites it 72× “1956 § 11-45-1, G.L.1956 § 12-29-5, and § 12-29-2. The information alleged that on October 8, 2002, after having been refused entry to the apartment he and his girlfriend shared, defendant repeatedly kicked and punched a door and then entered their apartment through a basement…”
State v. John, 881 A.2d 920 (R.I. 2005). · cites it 9× “On the basis of the fact that he had pleaded nolo contendere on February 27 of that year to (1) a charge of domestic disorderly conduct and (2) a charge of violating a no-contact order, defendant was charged with a felony pursuant to § 12-29-5. 3 The defendant was tried before a…”
State v. Cardona, 969 A.2d 667 (R.I. 2009). · cites it 5× “1956 § 11-5-3 (simple assault or battery) and § 12-29-5 (disposition of domestic violence cases), against his wife, Catherine Cardona (Catherine), and Catherine’s son, Bernard Baton (Bernard).”
State v. Carter, 827 A.2d 636 (R.I. 2003). · cites it 7× “In the case before us, the criminal information alleged that defendant, “after having been previously convicted twice of a crime of domestic violence, to wit, 10/31/95 and 9/5/96, did violate a protective order issued by the Family Court * * * on the 5th day of January, 2000, in…”
State v. Enos, 21 A.3d 326 (R.I. 2011). · cites it 8× “1956 § 11-5-2 and G.L.1956 § 12-29-5. [3] At trial, seven witnesses, including Mary, four of the restaurant's patrons and employees, and both of the responding police officers, testified before a jury.”
State v. Craig Van Dongen, 132 A.3d 1070 (R.I. 2016). · cites it 4× “1956 § 11-5-2 1 and G.L.1956 § 12-29-5 2 (count 1) and “intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly” engaging in fighting, threatening, violent, or tumultuous behavior, in violation of G.”
State v. Rushlow, 32 A.3d 892 (R.I. 2011). · cites it 4× “1956 § 11-8-1 and G.L.1956 § 12-29-5 (count 1); two counts of domestic first-degree sexual assault in violation of G.”
State v. Paul Fleck, 81 A.3d 1129 (R.I. 2014). · cites it 3× “1956 § 11-5-3 and G.L.1956 § 12-29-5. Under the provisions of § 12 — 29—5(c)(1), the defendant was deemed to be a felon because he had been convicted at least twice previously of domestic-violence offenses.”
State v. Gerardo E. Martinez, 59 A.3d 73 (R.I. 2013). · cites it 4× “1956 § 11-23-1 and G.L.1956 § 12-29-5 1 (count 1) and driving *77 a motor vehicle without consent of the owner in violation of G.”
State v. Jose Lopez, 129 A.3d 77 (R.I. 2016). · cites it 2× “criminal information was filed charging defendant with: Count One, assault with a dangerous weapon on Jorge Semidey, in violation of § 11-5-2; Count Two, assault with a dangerous weapon constituting domestic violence against Maribel Bonet-Perez, in violation of § 11-5-2 and…”
State v. Mark Ceppi, 91 A.3d 320 (R.I. 2014). · cites it 5× “1956 § 11-5-2 and G.L.1956 § 12-29-5, and one count of domestic simple assault, pursuant to § 11-5-3 and § 12-29-5, which judgment was entered on August 5, 2010, following a jury-waived trial in the Newport County Superior Court.”
State v. Furtado, 774 A.2d 38 (R.I. 2001). · cites it 3× “1956 § 11-44-1 and G.L.1956 § 12-29-5 and one count of disorderly conduct in violation of G.”
— R.I. Gen. Laws § 12-29-5(a) — 2 cases
State v. Martini, 860 A.2d 689 (R.I. 2004). “1956 § 11-45-1, G.L.1956 § 12-29-5, and § 12-29-2. The information alleged that on October 8, 2002, after having been refused entry to the apartment he and his girlfriend shared, defendant repeatedly kicked and punched a door and then entered their apartment through a basement…”
State v. Gerardo E. Martinez, 59 A.3d 73 (R.I. 2013). “1956 § 11-23-1 and G.L.1956 § 12-29-5 1 (count 1) and driving *77 a motor vehicle without consent of the owner in violation of G.”
— R.I. Gen. Laws § 12-29-5(b) — 1 case
State v. Martini, 860 A.2d 689 (R.I. 2004). “1956 § 11-45-1, G.L.1956 § 12-29-5, and § 12-29-2. The information alleged that on October 8, 2002, after having been refused entry to the apartment he and his girlfriend shared, defendant repeatedly kicked and punched a door and then entered their apartment through a basement…”
— R.I. Gen. Laws § 12-29-5(c) — 2 cases
State v. Martini, 860 A.2d 689 (R.I. 2004). “1956 § 11-45-1, G.L.1956 § 12-29-5, and § 12-29-2. The information alleged that on October 8, 2002, after having been refused entry to the apartment he and his girlfriend shared, defendant repeatedly kicked and punched a door and then entered their apartment through a basement…”
State v. Murray, 44 A.3d 139 (R.I. 2012).
— R.I. Gen. Laws § 12-29-5(c)(1) — 2 cases
State v. Martini, 860 A.2d 689 (R.I. 2004). “1956 § 11-45-1, G.L.1956 § 12-29-5, and § 12-29-2. The information alleged that on October 8, 2002, after having been refused entry to the apartment he and his girlfriend shared, defendant repeatedly kicked and punched a door and then entered their apartment through a basement…”
State v. John, 881 A.2d 920 (R.I. 2005). “On the basis of the fact that he had pleaded nolo contendere on February 27 of that year to (1) a charge of domestic disorderly conduct and (2) a charge of violating a no-contact order, defendant was charged with a felony pursuant to § 12-29-5. 3 The defendant was tried before a…”
— R.I. Gen. Laws § 12-29-5(c)(2) — 1 case
Alexander Rose v. State of Rhode Island, 92 A.3d 903 (R.I. 2014).
— R.I. Gen. Laws § 12-29-5(c)(d) — 1 case
State v. Martini, 860 A.2d 689 (R.I. 2004). “1956 § 11-45-1, G.L.1956 § 12-29-5, and § 12-29-2. The information alleged that on October 8, 2002, after having been refused entry to the apartment he and his girlfriend shared, defendant repeatedly kicked and punched a door and then entered their apartment through a basement…”
— R.I. Gen. Laws § 12-29-5(c)(ii)(l) — 1 case
State v. Haney, 842 A.2d 1083 (R.I. 2004).
— R.I. Gen. Laws § 12-29-5(c)(l) — 2 cases
State v. Martini, 860 A.2d 689 (R.I. 2004). “1956 § 11-45-1, G.L.1956 § 12-29-5, and § 12-29-2. The information alleged that on October 8, 2002, after having been refused entry to the apartment he and his girlfriend shared, defendant repeatedly kicked and punched a door and then entered their apartment through a basement…”
State v. Carter, 827 A.2d 636 (R.I. 2003). “In the case before us, the criminal information alleged that defendant, “after having been previously convicted twice of a crime of domestic violence, to wit, 10/31/95 and 9/5/96, did violate a protective order issued by the Family Court * * * on the 5th day of January, 2000, in…”
— R.I. Gen. Laws § 12-29-5(c)(l)(ii) — 2 cases
State v. Carter, 827 A.2d 636 (R.I. 2003). “In the case before us, the criminal information alleged that defendant, “after having been previously convicted twice of a crime of domestic violence, to wit, 10/31/95 and 9/5/96, did violate a protective order issued by the Family Court * * * on the 5th day of January, 2000, in…”
State v. Tower, 984 A.2d 40 (R.I. 2009).
— R.I. Gen. Laws § 12-29-5(e) — 1 case
State v. Martini, 860 A.2d 689 (R.I. 2004). “1956 § 11-45-1, G.L.1956 § 12-29-5, and § 12-29-2. The information alleged that on October 8, 2002, after having been refused entry to the apartment he and his girlfriend shared, defendant repeatedly kicked and punched a door and then entered their apartment through a basement…”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.